Rick BallardDec 6, 2022
Entering hour five of the new San Mateo city council’s first meeting, where there are currently only four members as a replacement will soon be appointed for a 5th. With a temporary 2-2 split, two of the new councilmembers have hijacked the clear-cut rules for mayorship selection in a naked power play and are keeping us all hostage while they try to get the other two to cave into their demands. A deep embarrassment.
Show threadRick BallardDec 6, 2022

The #SanMateo council meeting ended very badly last night. I got home at 3:30am and now have a nasty migraine for doing my civic duty here.

New council members #LisaDiazNash and #RobNewsom put personal political ambition in front of clear democratic norms and established apolitical rules in a move straight out of the McConnell playbook. #AmourenceLee was inspiring and, frankly, badass in the way she handled this. The whole embarrassing shitshow is now To Be Continued wednesday evening.

Show threadRick BallardDec 7, 2022
The #MercuryNews now has a pretty good summary of last night's disastrous #SanMateo council meeting up. https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/06/san-mateo-council-mayoral-election-turns-into-chaotic-power-struggle-lasting-hours/
San Mateo: Council mayoral election turns into chaotic power struggle lasting hours

Two newly elected council members refused to elect a new mayor and deputy mayor, breaking 128 years of precedent and potentially violating the city charter

The Mercury News
Show threadRick Ballard

Tonight there is a very critical decision moment on whether #SanMateo preserves its apolitical and clear rules for mayoral power or whether that process is subverted and irrevocably damaged. Please urgently sign this petition calling for the appointment of the mayor that city charter rotation rules specify and an end to the loophole-based McConnell-style delay tactics. And please share! 🙏🏻

https://www.change.org/p/appoint-the-san-mateo-mayor-now

Sign the Petition

Appoint the San Mateo Mayor Now

Change.org
Dec 7, 2022 at 11:03pmToot!
Show threadRick BallardDec 13, 2022

The weeklong drama over the #SanMateo mayoral appointment & the appointment of a 5th council member came to a close last night. Congratulations to new mayor #AmourenceLee! Extremely well deserved as demonstrated by how she’s conducted herself through this.

Good article here on what went down last night and the conclusion to this ugly saga: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/stalemate-over-amourence-lee-finally-selected-as-san-mateos-new-mayor/

Stalemate over; Amourence Lee finally selected as San Mateo's new mayor

After a drama-filled week and hours of debate, the San Mateo City Council finally appointed councilmember Amourence Lee as the community's new mayor.

CBS San Francisco
Show threadmayanakDec 14, 2022
@rballard Vote trading on top of all this horse poop! What nerve!